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Show Start Preventive Dentistry Early Experts Advise (Following is the second in a series of articles on "Your Dental Health" being presented present-ed by the Pleasant Grove Review. Re-view. This week, dental health for your children.) The great hope for any realistic solution to the widespread problem of dental disease, experts agree, is starting preventive dentistry in the very young. If a child's teeth are properly cared for up to age 15, a strong foundation has been laid for minimizing min-imizing dental troubles in later years. No dental care is needed, of course until the child's first teeth begin to erupt, somewhere around the age of 6 months. At this time, the four central incisors two upper and two lower low-er begin to peek out. By age 7 to 11 months, four more teeth, upper and lower, start to come in. These are the lateral incisors at either side of the central teeth. Then Mother Nature wisely skips a few spaces in order properly prop-erly to shape the jaw. In 12 to 16 months, the back teeth or molars, come in. Then the cuspids show to fill in the space between. At about age 21 months, the second molars come in. While all this has been going on, the permanent teeth are slowly developing de-veloping in the jaw bone so they can come forth at the proper time. The first of the permanent teeth are sometimes called the "six-year molars" because they emerge at about age 6. Because they do not replace the first teeth but rather come in just behind them, these molars tend to confuse parents who think they are also first teeth. This error can lead to tragic consequences. Since the six-year molar is a permanent tooth, it will not be replaced if lost. Dentists strongly emphasize the Importance of watching for the "six-year" molars. They are important im-portant in the structure of the mouth. The manner in which they interlock with their opposite teeth will determine the eventual shape of the jaw, facial contour and regularity reg-ularity of alignment of other teeth. Because of their importance, these first molars are often referred refer-red to as the "keystone of the dental arch." ' (Next week: A Child's First Visit Vis-it to the Dentist.) |